Thai newspapers analyze the U23 team's failure.

The 1-2 defeat against U23 Australia on January 8th was seen by the Thai press as a "lesson in maturity," rather than a frustrating setback, for the Thai U23 team's journey at the AFC U23 Asian Championship.

Thailand U23 suffered a defeat in their opening match at the AFC U23 Asian Championship.

The Main Stand website described this as a match where the Thai U23 team "made things difficult for themselves." The Southeast Asian representatives started enthusiastically, played proactively, and surprisingly took an early lead.

According to Main Stand , that was the period when the Thailand U23 team executed their tactical plan correctly, pressed effectively, and made it difficult for Australia to build up play from the back. However, the turning point came with the red card in the first half.

Main Stand emphasized that from this point on, the match was practically "decided." Playing with ten men against an opponent superior in physical fitness and organization, the Thai U23 team was forced to retreat deep into defense. Their initiative disappeared, while the pressure from Australia increased with each passing minute.

Siamsport delves into the element of character. Thailand's leading sports newspaper argues that the issue lies not only in the red card, but also in how the young players react after the incident.

The U23 Thailand team lost their composure, making numerous misplaced passes in midfield and failing to maintain the tempo of the game. When the equalizer came, the team's morale dropped noticeably, paving the way for the second goal.

Thailand U23 put in a very strong effort against Australia U23.

Meanwhile, BallThai took a more balanced view. The site stated that the defeat against Australia, a highly-rated team in the tournament, was not a shocking result.

BallThai praised the defensive efforts despite being down a man, while also pointing out that the core problem for the Thailand U23 team is their ability to control the game when in a disadvantageous position.

A common thread in Thai newspaper articles is their frankness, but without being pessimistic. They acknowledge the disparity in skill and experience, but see it as a necessary test for a young team.

According to Thai media, the defeat against Australia is not the end, but a reminder that on the continental stage, just one moment of losing control is enough to bring all efforts to a halt.

All goals from the U23 Thailand - U23 Australia match: On the evening of January 8th, U23 Thailand lost to U23 Australia with a score of 1-2 in Group D of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship.

Source: https://znews.vn/bao-thai-lan-mo-xe-that-bai-cua-doi-u23-post1618223.html